Combination chair and ladder



May 10, 1949. J. FURLIN 2,469,720

COMBINATION CHAIR AND LADDER Filed Deo. 6, 1947 INVENTORA JOHN FukuN ATTORN EY Patented May 10, 1949 .p UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE v n 72,469,720" A n COMBINATION CHAIR No LADDER-` 1 John Fui-1in, New York, N. Y. i Viflpplcation December 6, 1947, Serial N. 790,091

. 1 This invention relates to combination chair and ladder structures, and more 'particularly to chairs that are convertible into ladders by manual manipulatiom -f Most devices of this class are limited in respect to the height of thev ladder-'those structures offering more than average ladder heights being generally cumbersome, costly, unstable and difficult to manipulate. It is primarily within the contemplation of my invention to present a oombination chairand ladder structure having none of the aforesaid shortcomings, which is capable of use as a conventional chain-and which can readily be transformed into a ladderof considerably more than the average ladder heights` found in most devices in the said category.

More specifically, it is an object of my invention to-provide a chair having a ladder portion normally collapsiblel to an xunobstructive position when not in use, and being extensible to a height above the topof the back rest of the chair.

It is a furtherrobject of this invention to maintain the ladder portion firmly and immovably in both its inoperative and operative positions, and particularly to hold the ladder against forward and backward displacement and against lateral shifting, when in its extended condition.

Still another object is to enable the ladder to be maintained in its said extended condition by using structural .elements which are normally component parts of the chair.

It is also an object of my invention to enable the ladder portion to bebrought to its extended operative condition and returned to its inoperative retracted or collapsed condition with aminimum of manipulative effort.

Other objects, features and advantages will appear from the drawings and the descriptions hereinafter given. f

Referring to the drawings,

Figure l i-s aside view of a preferred form of the combination chair and .ladder of my invention shown with the ladder portion in its inoperative collapsed condition. l Y

Figure 2 is a front viewlof thedevice of Fig. 1, the dot-dashlines showing the ladderin its extended operative condition.` l

Figure 3 isa fragmentary side View of the device showing the position of the lparts during the operation of converting thel chair to a ladder.y

Figure 4 is a side View of the device shown with theladder initsv fully extended position.

-Figure 5 is-va perspective View of the pivotally mounted ladder anchor.`

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary side view 5 claims. (c1. 155-42) of `the-side extension members anda ladder step operativelyl supported thereby. Figure '7^- is afragmentary top vView of Fig. 6, a part being brokenaway for clarity.

Figure 8`is a section of Fig. l taken substantially along vline 8-8.

kFigure 9 `is a top view offthe ladder'` portion in its extended condition.

Figure'lO'is'a Section 'of Fig. 4 taken along line lj'lliigure 1l is a sectionof Fig. 4'taken along line In the preferred form of my "invention'illustrated,the'devic`e comprises aseat I5 pivotally se; cured'in place at the'hinges I6, a back rest I'I 'supported by the rear uprights I 8` extending upwardly from Ythe rear legs'IQ, front legs 20, side legbraces 2|, front legbrace 22, side seat supports 23, and the ladderA` portion 24'to be hereinafter described. Thesaid seat I5 is pivotally movable from itsoperative`horizontal position shown in Fig. l toits raised operativeposition against the back rest I'I, as shownin Fig. 4. The ladder portion 24 is supported in'fits inoperative collapsed condition underneath the lseat I5 primarily by the side leg braces 2I, as well as by the side seat supports 23 in the'preferred' construction; and in its extended-position the ladder'` is supported by said legk braces 2l' and bythe backrest I1, all as will more clearly hereinafterappear. The ladder portion 24 consists, in the preferred `embodiment showny'of two lateral extensible members 2 5 pivotally supporting therebetween the `steps 28. 'The extensible members each contains a lattice-work arrangement of outer and inner bars '2l and 28, respectively, adjacent outer and inner bars being in crossing relation and pivotally connected at their centers 29, and at the front and rear axes 30 'andBIg respectively, on the terminals of the adjacent `bars flanking their said centers. The lattice-workeonstruction above described is not herein claimed'as the invention per se', since it is-'awell-knownv extensible device, the invention herein, one aspect thereof, consisting of its use in the manner and in the combination 'herein described. Accordingly, for the purposes of this specification, the said lattice-Work construction will at times be herein referred to as extensible lateral supports.

Pivotally connecting, 'at axes 30, the front terminals of the' laterally opposed sets of coacting outer and inner bars 21 and 28, are the cross rods .32 in underlying engagement with the steps 26'. 11n `,the embodiment illustratedea ch step is provided withtwo side strips 33 attached to the 3 underside thereof, the corresponding cross rod 32 rotatably extending therethrough, whereby the said rods 32 are maintained in engagement with the underside of their respective steps. Each step is further provided, on each side thereof and rearwardly of axis 3B, with a channel member 34 containing upper and lower parallel walls 35 and 35, respectively, and an inwardly extending shaft `31 rotatably mounted within transversely extending apertured portion 38 of the step-the said walls 35 and 36 being in embracing engagement with the upper and lower edges of the adjacent bars 28 of the adjacent extensible support 25. The arrangement is such that inthe various relative angular positions of the steps and the bars of the said extensible supports, the said walls 35' and 36 of the channel members will always be engageable with the said bars, because of the pivotal i g connection of the channel members to the steps, and will accordingly serve to hold the steps against rotation. More specifically, since the steps are each and at all times supported by a cross rod 32 and a rearwardly disposed pair of channel members 34 embracing bars 28, the upper wall 35 of each channel will prevent a counterclockwise rotation of step about rod y32, whereas the lower wall 36 will prevent a clockwise rotation thereabout.

At the rear of the ladder portion, the opposite extensible lateral supports 25 are separated by spacer bars 39, theseV being preferably rotatably mounted on the rods 4|] pivotally connecting the rear ends of the lattice-work bars 21 and 28.

One of the spacer bars 39a., preferably one near the top and of hollow metallic tubular construction, has xedly mounted thereupon the two spaced substantially C-shaped anchor hooks 4I each having two curved fingers 42 and 43 the inner terminals 44 and 45 of which are separated by a downwardly disposed apertured portion 46 and an upper connecting portion 41. These anchor hooks serve to hold the ladder 24 in both its upper extended and lower contracted condition, as will hereinafter appear.

The side seat supports 23I have secured thereto near the rear of the device the anchor rest bar 48; and the side leg braces 2I contain, at the forward part thereof, the horizontal slots 49. The bottom of the ladder, preferably at the lowermost pivotal connection of the bottom bars 21a and 28a, contains a base cross bar 50.v extending through a spacer tube 5I between the laterally opposite pairs of bars 21a and 28a, the base bar 50 extending into said slots and being slidably movable therealong.

When theI device is used as a chair with the seat I5 down, the lateral extensible supports 25 are in their maximum contracted condition, as shown in Fig. l, the entire ladder portion being below the seat, the anchor hooks 4I anchored upon the bar 48, and the base bar 50 disposed at the rear of the slots 49. In this position the ladder is held against displacement, and is sufficiently rearwardly disposed as to be substantially entirely contained within the boundaries defined by thelegs and seat, thereby being inan entirely uncbstructing condition.

To convert the chair into a ladder, the seat I5 is raised, as suggested in Fig. 3, bringing it against the back rest as shown in Fig. 4; and then the uppermost cross bar or spacer 52 is grasped and an upward pull applied, to operatively extend the ladder to its maximum height. Then the fully extended ladder is tilted rearwardly; forcing the base bar 55 to slidably move to the front of the slot 49 and into abutment with the front wall 53 thereof. The anchor hooks 4I are placed over the top of the back rest I1 and supported thereupon. In the preferred embodiment illustrated, the upper edge of the back rest is provided with two recessed or slotted portions 54, arranged and proportioned to receive the upper connecting portions 41 of the hooks, the space 45 at the bottom of the hook being proportioned to accommodate therein the combined thickness of the back rest I1 and seat I5, as indicated in Fig. 4, whereby the fingers 44 and 45 are in engagement with the opposite surfaces of the seat and back rest.

The arrangement is hence such that the ladder is rmly held in its fully extended condition to a height above the top of the back rest, and is maintained in this position against lateral shifting by the side walls of the slots 54 which engage the hooks 4I as well as by the pairs of side bars 2l and 23 flan-king the ladder at the lower portion thereof; and it is held against forward and backward displacement by the coactive action of 'ne anchor hooks 4I and the base bar 50 in engagement with the hook rest and raised seat and the front wall 53 of slot 49, respectively. Furthermore, when the ladder is raised, the rear portions thereof in front of the raised seat are in abutment therewith, thereby providing a further support for the raised ladder.

It will be noted that there is no cross member underlying the front of the seat, thereby presenting no obstruction to the upward and forward movement of the ladder to its fully extended position.

In the accompanying drawings, the invention has been shown merely by way of example and in preferred form; but obviously many variations and modifications may be made therein which will still be comprised Within its spirit. It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention is not limited to any specific' formI or embodiment, except insofar as such limitations are specified in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A combination chair and ladder comprising a back rest, a pair of front legs, a pair of rear legs, two side seat supports, a seat pivoted thereon movable between a horizontal position upon said supports and a raised position against said back rest, two braces each connecting a front and corresponding rear leg and disposed a predetermined distance below said seat supports, an extensible ladder supported by said braces, said ladder containing two extensible lateral supports and a plurality of steps operatively supported therebetween, said ladder being extensible from a collapsed condition below the' said horizontal position of the seat to a predetermined raised position thereabove, andanchor means attached to the ladder and engageable with the chairv for holding the ladder in said raised position, said braces containing substantially horizontally dis'- posed slotted portions, said lladder containing at the bottom thereof a base cross bar the lateral terminal portions of which extend into and are slidably engageable with said slotted portions, whereby the ladderl is slidably supported by said slotted portions` 2. A combinationchair and ladder according to claim 1, said slotted portions-being disposed at the forward portion of said braces, said cross bar being engageable with the front walls of said slotted portions, whereby the ladder when in its raised condition is held against forward,` and rearward displacement by said front walls and said back rest.

3. A combination chair and ladder comprising a back rest, a pair of front legs, a pair of rear legs, two side seat supports, a seat pivote-d thereon movable between a horizontal position upon said supports and a raised position against said back rest, two braces each connecting a front and corresponding rear leg and disposed a predetermined distance below said seat supports, an extensible ladder containing at the bottom thereof a base cross bar supported between said braces, two extensible lateral supports, a plurality of steps between said extensible supports and supported thereon and a plurality of cross rods supported by said extensible supports and in underlying engagement with said steps, said ladder being extensible from a collapsed condition below the said horizontal position of the seat to a predetermined raised position thereabove, and a plurality of anchor hooks attached to a predetermined upper portion of the ladder and engageable with the upper edge of the back rest for holding the ladder in said raised condition, said extensible lateral supports each comprising a lattice-work arrangement of outer and inner bars in crossing relation and pivotally mounted at their centers and at front and rear terminals of the adjacent bars flanking their said centers, the said cross rods pivotly connecting the forward terminals of the laterally opposed sets of coacting inner and outer bars.

4.v A combination chair and ladder comprising a back rest, a pair of front legs, a pair of rear legs, two side seat supports, a seat pivoted thereon movable between a horizontal position upon said supports and a raised position against said back rest, two braces each connecting a front and corresponding rear leg and disposed a predetermined distance below said seat supports, an extensible ladder containing at the bottom thereof a base cross bar supported between said braces, two extensible lateral supports, a plurality of steps between said extensible supports and a plurality of cross rods supported by said extensible supports and in underlying engagement with said steps, said ladder being extensible from a collapsed condition below the said horizontal position of the seat to a predetermined raised position thereabove, and a plurality of anchor hooks attached to a predetermined upper portion of the ladder and engageable with the upper edge of the back rest for holding the ladder in said raised condition, said extensible lateral supports each comprising a lattice-work arrangement of outer and inner bars in crossing relation and pivotally mounted at their centers and at front and rear terminals of the adjacent bars flanking their said centers, the said cross rods pivotally connecting the forward terminals of the laterally opposed sets of coacting inner and outer bars, each of said steps being provided at opposite lateral ends thereof with rotatably mounted channel members having upper and lower walls in embracing engagement with the upper and lower edges of the adjacent bars of the adjacent extensible support.

5. A combination chair and ladder comprising a back rest, a pair of front legs, a pair of rear legs, two side seat supports, a seat pivoted thereon movable between a horizontal position upon said supports and a raised position against said back rest, twol braces each connecting a, front and corresponding rear leg and disposed a predetermined distance :below said seat supports, an extensible ladder containing at the bottom thereof a base cross bar supported between said braces, two extensible lateral supports, a plurality of steps between said extensible supports and a plurality of cross rods supported by said extensible supports and in underlying engagement with said steps, said ladder being extensible from a collapsed condition below the said horizontal position of the seat to a. predetermined raised position thereabove, and a plurality of anchor hooks attached vto a predetermined upper portion of the ladder and engageable with the upper edge of the back rest for holding the ladder in said raised condition, each of said steps being provided at opposite lateral ends thereof with rotatably mounted channel members in embracing engagement with adjacent portions of said extensible lateral supports.

JOHN FURLIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

